meds and weight gain..questions

  • ok i have tried paxil ..was on for 2 years..blew up like a balloon it was awful, tried prozac and zoloft..not as bad of weight gain as paxil but still problems..now doc wants me to try wellbutrin..swears it dosnt cause weight gain like the ssris..is this true?
    anyone have any experince with wellbutrin????
  • nirvanagurly:

    Hi, I also tried paxil and on top of falling asleep at work (actually all the time) I aslo gianed all kinds of weight. It got to the point when my doc wouldn't switch me I just quit taking it. Tried Prozac and Lexapro, not as bad but I was also not able to lose. I have heard of Wellbutrin but haven't tried it. Right now I'm on Effexor. Not only does it work better for me than any other ssri (actually I love this medication) I have more energy and I'm actually starting to lose weight doing the same stuff I had been doing while taking the others and not losing anything. Not saying that it would work for you the same way, but ust a suggestion. you can also get some more info from Rx.com, if you haven't already.

    Hope you find what works best for you!!

    *Jen*
  • I took Zoloft and gained 30+ lbs. Just started Wellbutrin and can feel the "cravings" subside. I also take Depakote so the weight is still a major battle. Honestly felt a difference with Wellbutrin. If you're depressed it's definately worth a try. Depression is a serious enemy (I also battle hypo-mania ). The mood disorder is more of a problem than the weight (although I still have 60+ lbs. to lose).

    Hope this helps.
  • Hi friends,
    I was on Paxil for about 2 yr and gained 20 pounds. I switched to Lexapro a few months ago.

    I'd take the 20 pounds over the depression any day. Today I know it's a biochemical disorder and not my fault. I blamed myself for the depression and felt weak and ashamed for years before tried the antidepressant. It was one of the best decisions I ever made and changed my life- all for the better.

    I also considered Wellbutrin as I battle nicotine addiction-(currently non-smoker, one day at a time), but decided not to mess with changing meds as I am doing so well on Lexapro.

    I have lost a few pounds since switching from Paxil to Lexapro, but it is with diet and exercise. I do think the SSRI has made weight loss more difficult, but....cest live!

    Best to you, Nirvan. Keep in touch and let me know how you are doing, ok.

    Love,
    Enja
  • I use Celexa and haven't had any problems with weight gain.
  • Wow, I have been on Paxil for about 4 years now, my dr. swears it is the right thing for me, after 2 major depressive episodes. I hate it, it doesn't work for me, or at least I don't think it does and I have gained about 30 lbs since I have been on it. I really want to change, but everytime I complain to the doc, he just increases my dosage. UGH!
    I am thinking of changing docs.
    Thanks for all the insight on the different meds out there!
  • Hi Robin, small world huh? Don't just and suggest you want to switch, Tell him!!!!! You are the best person to know what is going on with you, and whether or not it's working. And if he doesn't listen, you may need to find another Doc that will. Do your own research on other meds and bring them up with him as alternatives.
  • I gained 16 pounds on Celexa .. I hated it.. got off it as soon as I could. (twas that skinny Dr ~ I wanted to try something else... she told me it wasn't the med, but I'm a lifetime (fell off the wagon)WW; I know what I was eating).

    Am I cranky about this? yes! I still can't get it off.. managed 5 but no more. I am off the antidepressants tho, and until the last month or so, the weight wasn't my battle as much as the depression. I'm grateful the depression is to the point I could come off the meds, but I am still stuck with 11 pounds IN ADDITION to the 35 I needed to lose.

    Now that I reread this, I feel like I talked in circles!
  • I would love to be off anti-depressants, but I am sooooooo afraid to. I absolutely thought I was going to die during my first bought of depression, it was HORRIBLE! It was the best diet in the world though, I lost about 20 lbs in one month. I had to force food into my mouth and I would literally gag as I swallowed it. But, I knew that I had to have some nutrition or I would croak, and I had to survive this evil illness for my children.
    I caught the symptoms earlier the second time and rushed to my M.D. and got on medication again. It was more short lived. Now I am scared to death that if I get off it again, it will return.
    Jen, yes it is a small word, glad to see a friend here. Thanks for the advice, I will do some research on different meds, so that I will be more "equipped" when I see the M.D. again.
    See you guys later.
    Love ya!
  • I'm on Celexa; have been for over a year now. I've probably gained 40 pounds while on it, but realistically, I can't blame it on the medication. I've eaten like crap the past few months. (sigh) Nothing like the shattering of a really good friendship to send you into an emotional tailspin...

    You couldn't pay me enough to go off anti-depressants. I'd literally rather die than go back to the way I was before. I still have emotional difficulty a lot of the time, but for the first time in my life I know what is to feel halfway normal.
  • I'm completely with you Firebird. The medication weight gain is a drag but I'm hoping to gain some sense of stability and then put more effort into diet and exercise. Without the meds I'd be such a mess. Some meds make my eating feel more "driven" (Zoloft). Hopefully the combo of Wellbutrin and Depakote will give me the even keel I need to address the emotional eating. So far... so good.
  • Eh, you know, when you're feeling suicidal half the time, it doesn't really matter whether you're fat or thin. (frankly) I could only address my issues with food and exercise once I was chemically balanced. And I'd rather be a few pounds over my ideal weight forever than enter that overwhelming fog again. To me, there are things more important than being a size 8 or ten.

    Fortunately for me, it looks as if maybe - just maybe - I can be happy *and* slim, if I work it really hard. We'll just have to watit and see. But compromising my happiness? Not worth the hip-huggers.